Heaven's
Prey
by Janet Sketchley:
A grieving woman
is abducted by a serial killer—and it may be the answer to her prayers.
Despite
her husband’s objections, 40-something Ruth Warner finds healing through prayer
for Harry Silver, the serial killer who brutally raped and murdered her niece.
When a kidnapping-gone-wrong pegs her as his next victim, Harry claims that by
destroying the one person who’d pray for him, he proves God can’t—or won’t—look
after His own. Can Ruth’s faith sustain her to the end—whatever the cost?
Some
people warm our hearts every time they come to mind.
I
have an acquaintance who's a farmer, and her heart is as large as her land.
Just thinking about her spreads a warm smile across my face. We're not close, and
we don't know a lot of details of each other's lives although we've prayed for
one another. We haven't bonded through adversity or spent a lot of time
together, but my spirit recognizes something good in hers.
At
first I wondered, does the rural setting make a difference? Is that why we city
folk seem wound tighter and pressed in?
Of
course not. The size of a person's physical property—or bank account—or daily
planner—doesn't determine heart size.
But
the question reminded me of Jabez in the Old Testament, praying that God would
expand his territory.
"Jabez cried out to the God of
Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be
with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God
granted his request." (1
Chronicles 4:10, NLT*)
The
prayer of Jabez is not for everyone. Some love it, some try to use it for gain.
What if this is another facet of that expansion?
What
if we prayed like this?
"Enlarge
the boundaries of my heart territory,
Lord. Stretch them to be where You want them to be. Throw open the borders of
my heart and let me not cause others pain."
When
we recognize God as our boundary—our shield and strong tower—we don't need to
erect our own barbed-wire walls tight around our hearts. We can trust that God
has set our boundaries in pleasant, expansive places.
What
could this look like in our lives?
*New
International Version (NIV) Holy
Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All
rights reserved worldwide.
Janet Sketchley
bio
Janet
Sketchley's debut novel, Heaven's Prey,
is a story of suspense and redemption. You'll find her Christian living
articles and book reviews at janetsketchley.ca, plus a true-life story in the
award-winning anthology, A Second Cup of
Hot Apple Cider. Janet lives and writes in east-coast Canada.
Website: http://janetsketchley.ca/
Heaven's
Prey
page: http://janetsketchley.ca/books/heavens-prey/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetSketchley
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetSketchley
Amazon Author
Central: http://www.amazon.com/author/janetsketchley
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